A late bloomer who burst onto the national landscape in the spring and summer prior to his high school senior year, Jarrett Allen came into Texas as a highly regarded prospect (#18 RSCI) fresh off a gold medal with USA Basketball at the U18 FIBA Americas Championship.

Texas as a whole had a very disappointing season, going just 4-14 in Big 12 play and 11-22 overall. Allen struggled early, but found his footing as the year moved on, eventually being named to the Big 12's All-Rookie and All-Conference Third Team, in large part thanks to a very strong month of February in which he averaged 18 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 35 minutes through eight contests.

A large part of the appeal with Allen surrounds his physical profile. Despite standing just 6'9 without shoes, a hair short for a center, he has a tremendous 7'5 ¼ wingspan, a 9'1 ½ standing reach, gigantic hands, and a 234 pound frame that will fill out nicely in time.

Allen saw quite a few touches in the post for a Texas offense that struggled mightily to space the floor effectively as one of the worst perimeter shooting teams in all of college basketball. He was curiously utilized mostly at the power forward position alongside another non-shooting big man, a situation that he'll likely never encounter again at any point in his career. That certainly didn't help open things up on a team that lacked experience, ball-movement and basketball IQ in a major way.

Nevertheless, Allen flashed outstanding potential all season as a rim-runner and pick and roll finisher. His long strides, solid agility and excellent hands allow him to cover ground and present himself to his guards for easy looks. He converted 68% of his attempts around the basket this season, some of them in highly creative fashion, in part due to the elite extension he gets around the rim due to his length, giving him more angles to work with than most players his size.

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Operating with his back to the basket, Allen can palm the ball like a grapefruit, and has good footwork to go along with soft touch. He is capable of finishing with nifty hook shots and up and unders using either hand, sometimes after connecting a series of post moves together with impressive spin moves and body control.

Facing the basket, Allen is largely unpolished, but shows flashes of potential that hint at things to come down the road. He can straight line drive from the high post using his long strides, and showed glimpses of being able to knock down a mid-range jumper with solid shooting mechanics, rotation and touch.

With that said, Allen has a long ways to go before he can be expected to put it all together and become a consistent scoring option at the NBA level. He lacks strength in a major way, and doesn't bring the type of nasty attitude you'd like to see to compensate, setting soft screens, being weak with the ball, and struggling to finish in traffic through contact. He's not overly explosive off two feet, needing time to gather himself for finishes, and relying heavily on his length to bail him out. He doesn't always work hard enough to establish deep post position due to his lack of bulk and toughness, and isn't overly decisive with his moves once he does make catches, showing just an average feel for reading the help-side defense.

Allen's basketball IQ is a work in progress, as evidenced by his -6.31 PPR, which ranks second worst among all players projected to get drafted. He lacks polish with his perimeter skill-set as well, making just 56% of his free throw attempts on the season, and 24/68 of his jump-shots. At this stage of his career, he's at his best finishing plays created for him by others.

With all that in mind, it's unlikely that Allen develops into a prolific scorer early on his career, as he'll undoubtedly need time to polish his skill-set, fill out his frame, and find consistency in his ability to put the ball in the basket from both the perimeter and interior. That will make his work on the defensive end especially important.

Allen's tremendous combination of length, reach, agility and ability to get off the floor quickly give him a great framework to build off. He has quick feet as well, being capable of sliding on the perimeter in small doses, covering ground and staying in front of opponents.

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With that said, he needs to improve his technique, experience level and mentality to become more consistent in this area, as he mostly shows flashes at this stage, being far from solid on a possession to possession basis. His lack of bulk causes him to get sealed off in the post by stronger big men, and he doesn't always show the type of fight you want to see in terms of his ability to get take contact, with older players often going straight through him en route to the basket. He's also not really the type of rim protector you might hope considering his reach, at just 2 blocks per-40 minutes.

On the perimeter, Allen often looks hunched over in his stance, being somewhat slow to change directions on the fly, and not having the quickest-twitch moving his feet on switches. His awareness leaves something to be desired as well, as you'll often see him losing his focus, getting spun around, and show just an average understanding of team concepts or opposing team personnel. NBA teams will want to see him bring a more cerebral approach, as well as a higher level of intensity, as he tends to jog the court at times lackadaisically.

This manifests itself most vividly on the glass, where his 6.9 defensive rebounds per-40 minutes is just a decent rate. He relies heavily on his tools here, rarely boxing out, not throwing his body around, and not always showing the highest motor attacking loose balls. The fact that he played so many minutes at the certainly limited his opportunities here, and he does show some potential with his big hands and long arms, as evidenced by his solid work on the offensive glass.

Allen has considerable tools to work with, having the type of length, agility, frame, hands, and budding skill you love to see in a developing big man. With that said, he's clearly a project on both ends of the floor, and there are major question marks about what he will be able to hang his hat on at the NBA level early on in his career. Improving his feel for the game and maximizing his intensity level will be major keys in Allen reaching his full potential, and he'll need to land somewhere with a great development staff and plenty of patience.

Ryan Thomson takes a closer look at Texas Center Jarrett Allen's performances against Kansas on January 21 and February 25.

The 6'11 freshman had two of his best games at the college level against a Final Four caliber team, finishing with a very strong 42 points, 30 rebounds, 6 turnovers and 4 blocks in 69 minutes, shooting 17-27 from the field and 8-13 from the free throw line.

At 6'11 with a 7'5 1/2 wingspan, Allen is a major presence on the offensive glass and as a finisher inside the paint, where he can play above the rim from long vantage points thanks to his impressive physical tools. He shows flashes of potential protecting the rim and rebounding outside of his area, and his jump-hook can be developed into a real weapon in time thanks to his high release point and soft touch around the basket. While raw and still underdeveloped, his skill-level is relatively high for a player his size, as he can attack in a straight line from the high post, or even make mid-range jumpers at times, despite his extreme struggles from the free throw line (55%).

As the season has moved on, Allen has done a better job of recognizing double teams and finding shooters spotting up on the weakside. The lack of shooting and floor balance for Texas has hampered him, as the team lacks much in the way of real wings or forwards that can provide him with more room to operate inside, being one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in college basketball.

The fact that Allen doesn't consistently play with a great motor frustrates scouts at times, as he tends to avoid contact and doesn't always bring the same level of toughness and focus from game to game or possession to possession they would like to see. His defensive rebounding numbers have been fairly poor, as his awareness is not great at this stage, and he tends to give up deep post position to stronger players.

Playing a lot of power forward, Allen has struggled at times on the perimeter against face-up players who have a quickness advantage. He can use his length to challenge shots around the rim, but has a ways to go in terms of his fundamentals and experience on this end. It's likely that Allen will play far more as a center in the NBA.

Allen is having an inconsistent, but at times brilliant, season, mixing in some very impressive performances like this game with strong outings against TCU, West Virginia and Baylor to show NBA scouts the extent of his upside. Still, he's also struggled in many games, such as against Northwestern, Oklahoma, Georgia, Michigan and Iowa State, combining to shoot 15 of 42 from the field with 4 assists and 23 turnovers in those five contests. 17.2 10.7 1.9 59%, 3.3 TO, 55% FT

On the season, Allen is still having a strong freshman year, as he's posting 17 points and nearly 11 rebounds and 2 blocks per-40, shooting 59% from 2-point range. He continues to struggle to make free throws though, as he's shooting just 55% from the line while turning it over 3.3 times per-40 compared with just one assist. He had an outstanding February and seems to be on an upward trajectory after struggling a bit at the start of conference play.

Texas is in the midst of a disappointing season, at just 10-19 thus far, and 4-12 in Big 12 play.

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Ryan Thomson is a video analyst for DraftExpress. Follow him on twitter and check out his DraftExpress Video Archive. He will be breaking down the NBA draft in digital format all year long for us.

Strengths-Impressive length and reach for a center prospect  7'5.5 wingspan with a 9'2.5 standing reach. Frame hasn't improved all that much (224 pounds  lost three pounds between Nike Hoop Summit in April and USA Basketball U18 Training Camp) but he has plenty of room to fill out. Huge hands and feet.-Fluid, coordinated runner. Quick off the floor. Can finish above the rim when he's able to load up, largely because of his length and reach.-Impressive instincts and timing as a shot blocker. Not afraid to rotate and challenge athletes at the rim. Challenges almost every shot around the rim. -Solid pick and roll defender with the fluidity to switch and compete as his fundamentals improve.-Uses his length and mobility to keep plays alive on the offensive glass. Uses his tools to snatch defensive rebounds in traffic.-Soft hands. Solid touch around the rim. Shows occasional flashes as a post scorer  can make a right-handed jump hook, decent footwork.-Will make an occasional 15-footer. Inconsistent mechanics and doesn't shoot it with confidence but has some natural touch with nice rotation.-Stays in his lane for the most part. Shows some potential as a post passer.

Weaknesses-Frame still has a long way to go  224-pound center. Light in the chest and rear. A bit hunched. Slightly short for a center prospect at 6'10.5. Not the most physical big out there, especially as a post defender.-Can improve his toughness on the defensive glass.-Fluid and quick off the floor but doesn't have much pop as a leaper. Limits him as a finisher versus length.-Not very advanced offensively. Limited to mostly finishes and basic jump hooks. Lacks a degree of confidence in his mid-range jumper. Mechanics vary. Can improve his left hand and post moves to his right shoulder.-Shows potential as a passer but isn't the most instinctual player offensively.-Very quiet on the floor. Will call out basic pick and roll coverages but doesn't bring much emotion to the floor aside from that. Needs to play with more consistent fire. Gets down on himself at times.-Overall upside is slightly limited by his lack of elite leaping and scoring ability in the half court.

Outlook Allen isn't a flashy prospect, but he's very effective in a couple of key areas that translate well to the NBA. He protects the rim at a high level, runs the floor, can guard pick and roll, and has the hands, length and touch to be effective around the rim offensively. The Austin, Texas native has a ways to go with his frame and offensive skill set, and he may end up needing more than one season at UT, but whenever he does decide to make the jump, he has first round potential written all over him.

Strengths-Outstanding physical profile for an NBA center  6' 10.5 with a 7' 5.5 wingspan, 9' 2.5 standing reach, and 227-pound frame that will fill out really nicely. Huge hands.-Very mobile. Can get up and down in transition. Long strides. Solid leaper in space.-Super quick off of his feet. Impressive agility on spin moves.-Tremendous instincts and timing as a shot blocker. Far and away the best rim protector at the Nike Hoop Summit.-Able to get in a stance and defend pick and roll. Covers ground. Showed that he can switch some ball screens and hold his own.-Competes on the glass. Reach and quick leaping ability allow him to snatch boards in traffic.-Soft hands. Catches everything. Has some touch around the rim with his right hand.-Can make a free throw jumper.-Quick and accurate outlet passes to streaking teammates.

Weaknesses-Not overly tall for a center at 6' 10.5, although he makes up for it with length.-Doesn't have a ton of pop as a leaper, especially from a standstill.-Basic offensive game. Very right-hand dominant. Doesn't have counter moves in the post. Has a ways to go as a scorer in the half court. Can also improve as a passer in the half court.-Not very versatile on the offensive end.-Can polish his defensive fundamentals. Will allow deep catches. Too high up guarding ball screens at times.-Very quiet on the floor.

Outlook Few prospects helped themselves as much as Allen. He continues to improve at every event and looks more and more like a one-and-done, first-round pick each time he takes the floor. With his length, mobility, defensive instincts, soft hands and touch around the rim, it's very easy to envision Allen playing a role in the NBA and eventually developing into something more than that. His game isn't flashy but centers like Allen don't grow on trees. He figures to be an impact defender from day one at the college level, regardless of which school he chooses. His overall upside will most likely be determined by how he progresses on the offensive end of the floor.

Jarrett Allen has sensational length for a center prospect. His physical tools already compare favorably to Larry Sanders who stood 6'10.5 in shoes with a 222-pound frame and a 7'5.75 wingspan coming out of VCU in 2010. His standing reach is on par with many of the NBA's top big men already, and Allen's tremendous size figures to be very intriguing to scouts wherever he winds up playing out his college career.

6' 10 center Jarrett Allen also had a nice evening session protecting the rim, holding his own against Marques Bolden in the post, crashing the offensive glass, and running the floor.

There's nothing flashy about Allen's game, but he plays within himself, has great hands, solid touch around the basket, a developable frame, outstanding length (7' 4.5 wingspan), and tremendous timing as a shot blocker. He's more long and quick off of his feet than vertically explosive, but Allen has all of the makings of a rim-running, shot blocking center and is most certainly an intriguing prospect moving forward.

Strengths-Nice frame with a huge, 7' 4.5 wingspan. Massive hands.-Good athlete who can really run the floor. One of the first players down the court on most possessions. Above average leaper. -Uses his mobility, hands and leaping ability to finish out of pick and roll. Nice touch around the rim. Moves intelligently off the ball-Soft touch on his right-handed jump hook-Shows flashes of an impressive motor. Very good offensive rebounder. Able to rebound well in traffic thanks to his length. -Displays good timing as a shot blocker. Fairly quick off the floor. Long and rangy. Able to cover ground quickly. Can defend in face-up situations a little bit. -Very intelligent young man off the court. Plays within a role for the most part, although he will break off and shoot a contested jumper every once in a while

Weaknesses-Frame still has room to fill out. Struggles at times versus overly physical bigs. -Makes up for it in length but he's a bit short for a center at 6'9 or possibly 6'10-Not much of an offensive threat outside of the paint. Gets rotation on his jumper but overall shooting mechanics aren't great. -A bit slow getting to his jump hook. Footwork still a work in progress. Not very fast-twitch. Nice touch but mostly limited to his right-handed jump hook on the block. -Decent decision maker overall but will go through stretches where he takes contested jumpers early in the offense-Will bite on fakes from time to time on the defensive end-Doesn't show much negative or positive emotion on the court. Looks a bit apathetic at times

Outlook: Allen put together a very impressive camp by excelling in areas that college coaches are looking for out of their five man. The Austin, Texas native ran the floor hard, finished around the rim, crashed the glass on both ends of the floor, and protected the rim with regularity. Allen can impact the game in several ways without being a focal point in the offense, which should earn him heavy minutes early on at the NCAA level. Allen isn't overly polished on the offensive end, but he will certainly be on the NBA radar screen given his frame, impressive length, mobility and touch around the rim. Allen is without a doubt worth following to see how his frame fills out and how his offensive game develops.

Strengths:-Really good frame. Extremely long arms. Huge hands. -Can get up and down. Smooth athlete who is quick off his feet and can play above the rim. Long strides. Surprises you at times with how explosive he is-Active, competitive, player with a good feel for the game. -Has the tools to be a very good rebounder. Career 11.5 per-40-Crashes the offensive glass. Career 4.1 per-40-Able to rebound in traffic on the defensive end thanks to his length and leaping ability. Career 7.5 per-40-Will fly around on defense at times. Chase down blocks. Can alter shots at the rim a little bit. Career 2.9 blocks and 1.5 steals per-40-Has soft touch. Career 59% for 2-Proficient scorer with back to the basket. Has a jump-hook with a high release point. Some footwork inside the paint. Good body control. Finishes on both sides of the rim and with either hand-Smart player. Doesn't turn the ball over. Makes some heady outlet passes. Good teammate-Just turned 17 a few months ago

Weaknesses:-In between the 4 and the 5 right now. 6-10 in shoes, but plays primarily in the low post. Looks to be in an early stage of development athletically.-Not a consistent threat offensively. -Really funky shooting mechanics. Long windup and unorthodox release. Head tilted. Misses left and right. Career 57% free throw shooter-Still figuring out what his limitations are. Will take contested jumpers early in the offense. Not completely sure what type of player he is yet. -Effort comes and goes on defense. Sometimes looks like he's playing at half-speed. Still figuring out how to make the most of his tools on a consistent basis. -Not the most physical player. Lacks a degree of toughness. Gives up deep post-position. Can get pushed around inside the paint. -Doesn't move all that well on defense. Looks upright in stance. Gets burned off the dribble more than you'd hope. Average fundamentals. Needs to improve his ability to cover ground, especially stepping out on the pick and roll.

Outlook:A late bloomer, Allen had an outstanding adidas Gauntlet circuit this summer, averaging 22 points per-40 on excellent efficiency (59% for 2). His performance this summer helped him up his stock into the 5-star territory among recruiting services, and made him a priority for the likes of Kentucky, Notre Dame, Texas, Baylor, North Carolina, Indiana and others. He isn't the most polished prospect but he sports an excellent frame, long arms, huge hands, and shows flashes of activity on both ends of the floor. It will be interesting to see what Allen's game looks like once it catches up to his impressive physical attributes. He lacks a degree of size, athleticism and toughness to be considered an elite-level NBA prospect, but appears to be at an early stage of development physically and skill-wise, so it's difficult to fully assess his upside at this stage.